Karoline Leavitt has openly shown her disregard for the newly elected New York mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji. The NYC mayoral swearing-in was widely watched across the U.S. as Mamdani took his first step toward shaping the city’s future.
However, it would be unjust to make no mention of Rama’s styling for the day, which somewhat became the talk of the town in no time. Reflecting her sophisticated taste in fashion, the 28-year-old wore a long coat and skirt. But it was her $630 chunky-heeled black boots that tore away all the gaze. Among many praises, there were some criticisms also which came Rama’s way, and it certainly revolved around her footwear choice for the occasion.
Joining the criticism was Karoline Leavitt, who wasted no time sharing her fashion-related commentary on Rama Duwaji’s expensive boots. On her Instagram stories, the White House Press Secretary took aim at Mamdani’s promise about lowering the cost of living in New York.
Highlighting what she viewed as a contradiction, Leavitt wrote, “They want New Yorkers to hand over more than half their income to the government, while she wears designer boots worth your weekly paycheck. Classic Communists — rules for you, but not for them. There are reasons Communism has failed everywhere it’s been tried. Good luck, New York.”
Karoline Leavitt rang in 2026 by trashing Zohran Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, for the boots she wore to his NYC mayoral swearing-in ceremony. Duwaji’s chunky-heeled black boots, which complemented her long coat and skirt, cost $630
— Ehsan (@whitewyoming) January 5, 2026
Well, this indeed marks one of Leavitt’s obvious attempts at shading someone who has recently entered the spotlight. But the internet and netizens have diverted the criticism back to her, since Leavitt herself is no stranger to expensive fashion musings. In fact, not only she but the entire community of MAGA allies seems to be putting up ultra-luxurious style statements continually.
Netizens particularly aimed their backlash at Melania Trump’s exorbitant lifestyle in the first place, including a lavish wardrobe. Her bright and glittery attire on New Year’s Eve, costing $1582, was a prime example of splurging in fashion, while the burden of paychecks remains on the pockets of ordinary people as well. Social media users did not mince their words for Karoline, who has frequently been criticized online for her luxury fashion spending.
From her wearing Jimmy Choo pumps, carrying Louis Vuitton bags and Gucci watches, Karoline Leavitt’s luxury spending is just as much. Moreover, she is also known for spending a lot of money on alleged cosmetic surgeries, which do not come cheaply. A netizen commented, “Karoline Leavitt speaking about Rama Duwaji’s $630 boots is funny because Leavitt is likely wearing double that amount in her lips alone.”
After viciously attacking Rama Duwaji for wearing (borrowed) designer clothes at her husband’s NYC mayoral inauguration, Karoline Leavitt revealed, “I prefer to wear only clothing left behind in the WH by Barbara Bush” pic.twitter.com/G3TQ01NX9p
— Paul Rudnick (@PaulRudnickNY) January 5, 2026
Now, when it comes to Rama Duwaji, out of all the chatter about her expensive fashion, she still happens to be the winner. Well, she has not actually purchased the entire outfit, which basically rules out all the criticism that Leavitt has thrown at her. Duwaji’s stylist, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who was entrusted to build up both her looks for Zohran Mamdani’s swearing-in ceremony and inaugural day, claimed that the items she wore were borrowed.
In particular, the flashy heels Rama wore were borrowed from the brand Miista, too, which proves that she always had frugality at the top of her mind.
Sharing details on the thrifted look, Duwaji’s stylist mentioned, “Thrifting is something Rama does often — she’s an exceptionally savvy shopper — so renting second-life fashion felt like the most authentic way to approach a moment of this magnitude. In both process and result, it’s abundantly clear she has no intention of showing up as anything other than herself in this new role.”
